Students’ efforts saving lives

WAYNESVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) – It started small and turned into something that’s now saving lives, and that’s exactly the goal.

An effort by a group of Warren County high school students is an example of what’s working in the Miami Valley, and they’re a true example of Spartan spirit.

Wednesday night, before the basketball game, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Clinton and Warren Counties awarded a group of Waynesville High School students for their efforts to raise awareness and help their peers.

“Bullying will never go away, but if we can create a positive environment enough to where the kids can survive the bullying, that’s what we want to do,” said Carly Allen, a junior.

They started small, and quickly grew from a group of six to 30 teens. They spread the word and educate classmates about the high rate of young people taking their own lives.

“These are the things that we wanted our school to stand up for,” said Carly, pointing to a list of words on her shirt that include: support, positive, accountable, and respect, just to name a few.

Their teamwork, is paying off.

“We had a situation where the knowledge we gave to the students actually helped prevent a suicide,” said Evan Crichton, a senior. “One of the students actually came in and reported a case where a student was thinking of committing suicide. So, you could say this suicide prevention week saved a life because it informed someone on how to take the steps to help someone else who’s thinking about it.”